BibleGateway Verse of the Day (KJV)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

National Confession of Christ Jesus as King of Kings

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. (Is. 33:22)

From the above quote from the book of Isaiah, we see not only how the founders of the United States came up with the three branches for our federal government (judicial, legislative, executive), but also that the state is to serve God as his federal (representative) minister (servant) of righteous judgment in civil affairs. This is from where we in the West get the idea of "civil servant." (See also, Romans 12 and 13, where the nation-states are charged with being ministers of God for the protection of the godly and the punishment of evildoers, where the civil state has been given that jurisdiction by God in His Word.)

God has instituted three forms of government for human society--family, church, state. Each has its own hierarchy, jurisdiction, and sanctions; and each is directly accountable to Jesus Christ, Ruler over all. (In this post, I'm mainly focusing on Christ as Lord of the nations, and the peoples' obligation to confess Christ as their Lord--nationally, corporately--and to bow the knee to Him (Ps. 95:6; Is. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:9-11), willingly now, or reluctantly at the Last Day.)

In the Bible, God explains that Christ is the King of kings (1 Tim. 6:12-16; Rev. 17:14; Rev. 19:16). All judges and rulers of the earth are to serve the LORD with fear and kiss (or pay homage to) the Son, the Messiah (or Anointed) of God, lest He be angry and the civil states be destroyed (Psalm 2).


from "National Confession Primer," by William Gould, in Explicity Christian Politics: The Vision of the National Reform Association, edited by William O. Einwechter, The Christian Statesman Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1997:
"The Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) explicitly teaches the duty of national confession:

Every nation ought to recognize the divine institution of civil government, the sovereignty of God exercised by Jesus Christ, and its duty to rule the civil affairs of men in accordance with the will of God. It should enter into covenant with Christ and serve to advance His Kingdom on earth. The negligence of civil government in any of these particulars is sinful, makes the nation liable to the wrath of God, and threatens the continued existence of the government and nation (Chapter 23, paragraph 4).

It is the duty of every Christian citizen to labor and pray for his nation's official and explicit recognition of the authority and law of Jesus Christ, Preserver and Ruler of nations, and for the conduct of all governmental affairs in harmony with the written word of God (Chapter 23, paragraph 6)."
from "National Confession Primer," by William Gould, quoting the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Pittsburgh: Crown and Covenant Publications, 1980).

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